§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have studied the report of the inter-party parliamentary delegation from the Irish Republic which visited E1 Salvador and neighbouring countries in January 1982, and what is their response to its conclusions and especially to the statements that there are 400, 000 refugees and displaced persons out of a population of some 5 million and that the main section of Land Reform has been deferred for 10 years; and whether they will more actively support the efforts being made to bring about negotiations between the various parties concerned.
§ Lord BelsteadThe report has not been formally transmitted to Her Majesty's Government, but we have obtained a copy and studied it. As the House is aware, Her Majesty's Government deplore the violence in E1 Salvador which has driven so many citizens from their homes.
Her Majesty's Government hope that, following the large measure of success of he recent elections, on which the United Kingdom observers have reported, and despite the difficulties being experienced presently in the formation of a new Government, the new Administration will find it possible to restore law and order, continue the programme of reform and eventually ensure the participation of all the major political parties in the democratic process.